Prevalence of Symptoms ≤12 Months After Acute Illness, by COVID-19 Testing Status Among Adults — United States, December 2020–March 2023
Authors: Juan Carlos C. Montoy, James Ford, Huihui Yu, Michael Gottlieb, Dana Morse, Michelle Santangelo, Kelli N. O’Laughlin, Kevin Schaeffer, Pamela Logan, Kristin Rising, Mandy J. Hill, Lauren E. Wisk, Wafah Salah, Ahamed H. Idris, Ryan M. Huebinger, Erica S. Spatz, Robert M. Rodriguez, Robin E. Klabbers, Kristyn Gatling, Ralph C. Wang, Joann G. Elmore, Samuel A. McDonald, Kari A. Stephens, Robert A. Weinstein, Arjun K. Venkatesh, Sharon Saydah, Zohaib Ahmed, Michael Choi, Antonia Derden, Michael Gottlieb, Diego Guzman, Minna Hassaballa, Ryan Jerger, Marshall Kaadan, Katherine Koo, Geoffrey Yang, Jocelyn Dorney, Jeremiah Kinsman, Shu-Xia Li, Zhenqiu Lin, Imtiaz Ebna Mannan, Senyte Pierce, Xavier Puente, Andrew Ulrich, Zimo Yang, Huihui Yu, Karen Adams, Jill Anderson, Gary Chang, Nikki Gentile, Rachel E. Geyer, Zenoura Maat, Kerry Malone, Graham Nichol, Jasmine Park, Luis Ruiz, Mary Schiffgens, Tracy Stober, Michael Willis, Zihan Zhang, Grace Amadio, Alex Charlton, David Cheng, Dylan Grau, Paavali Hannikainen, Efrat Kean, Morgan Kelly, Jessica Miao, Nicole Renzi, Hailey Shughart, Lindsey Shughart, Carly Shutty, Phillip Watts, Arun Kane, Peter Nikonowicz, Sarah Sapp, David Gallegos, Riley Martin, Chris Chandler, Megan Eguchi, Michelle L’Hommedieu, Raul Moreno, Kate Diaz Roldan, Mireya Arreguin, Virginia Chan, Cecilia Lara Chavez, Robin Kemball, Angela Wong, Melissa Briggs-Hagen, Aron J. Hall, Ian D. Plumb
Journal: MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2023)

To further the understanding of post-COVID conditions, and provide a more nuanced description of symptom progression, resolution, emergence, and reemergence after SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-like illness, analysts examined data from the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE), a prospective multicenter cohort study. This report includes analysis of data on self-reported symptoms collected from 1,296 adults with COVID-like illness who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 using a Food and Drug Administration-approved polymerase chain reaction or antigen test at the time of enrollment and reported symptoms at 3-month intervals for 12 months. Prevalence of any symptom decreased substantially between baseline and the 3-month follow-up, from 98.4% to 48.2% for persons who received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test results (COVID test-positive participants) and from 88.2% to 36.6% for persons who received negative SARS-CoV-2 test results (COVID test-negative participants). Persistent symptoms decreased through 12 months; no difference between the groups was observed at 12 months (prevalence among COVID test-positive and COVID test-negative participants = 18.3% and 16.1%, respectively; p>0.05). Both groups reported symptoms that emerged or reemerged at 6, 9, and 12 months. Thus, these symptoms are not unique to COVID-19 or to post-COVID conditions. Awareness that symptoms might persist for up to 12 months, and that many symptoms might emerge or reemerge in the year after COVID-like illness, can assist health care providers in understanding the clinical signs and symptoms associated with post-COVID-like conditions.